black college Sports Review JULY 1993 EDITOR * PUBLISHER Ernest H. Pitt PRODUCTION STAFF WRITERS UngMon Wtartz. A. MmfcHoia* Brtcfwr »»-¦ KJ**, . uviiu Manoni Jamn Wright Jr. Kwn Hmnon Mar* CVay PHOTOGRAPHERS WadsMash drag Janaon The Greatest of All Times There should be no more doubl now. The argument should be done, for now and forever. Michael Jordan, not Wilt, not Kareem, not Bird, not Magic, not Dr. J . Mike . is the greatest basketball player of all time. Greatest team player of all time. too. For the other teams in the NBA, Jordan is the bald headed menace, the guy no one can stop. Some say he doesn't make his teammates better. Well, before, Jordan, Chicago lost. After Jordan, Chicago won. It's really the bottom line. Ask his teammates if they'J be happier if they got more points and lost muir games than they won. The point of playing the game is to win. Magic made* his teammates better. Magic won. Larry Bird made his teammates bet Clarence "Bighouse" Gaines ter. Bird won. 1. ..* ; But the} didn't win three straight.- And these were teams with hall of famers Jabbar, McHale. Parish. Every time the clock wound down, Magic didn't have to do A Legend Put to Rest it, Bird didn't have to do it. Teams couldn't concentrate their entire defenses to cut them off. This was jt for Bighouse Gaines. This was it for the colleges began to latch on to the black athletes that had Question: Let's see, do we triple-team the Bird-man? Well, man who is a legend, though he's still with us; a man been Gaines' lifeMood, the winning slowly began to stop that Dennis Johnson guy can shoot; McHale is the best post-up who's won more college basketball games than any other ia Winston-Salem, am! the Ux>. to ever Uve; and Parish, well, one he'll be in the Hall of money began^dry up, player day . Fame. living, breathing, basketball coach more than Dean Recruiting became more difficult. Answer: Better not double Bird loo much. Smith; more than Bobby Knight. So Bird had too. Michael Jordan? has help. Magic did, He This was the day that the legend was put to rest. Gaines' final CIAA championship came in 1977, Scottie Pippen. Sometimes. And still the Bulls, Mike's Bulls, have June 1993. just won again. 30, some 16 years ago. That many of you would even consider that the Bulls are one RIP. of the all-time teams . and great they could he argued to be the "1 could see what was Gaines said among best ever, but we'll come to that . must then concede to the coming," you No, Clarence Gaines wasn't dead. In fact; he seems greatness of Air. * boxes and boxes of memorabilia fh his office" If you want to call Chicago a one-man team, fine, but consid¬ as robust and lively today as he did 10 years ago, at least er this: according to friends that know him. But Gaines, for a 1 should've earlier. But I liked what I In the entire history of modem spoils, 12 teams have "Maybe quit only moment at least, was no no so won three consecutive championships, and five of those were in longer "Bighouse", longer was doing so much; I'd done it long. But I could see. hockey. The last time a team won three in a row was 10 years ago, "Coach." The money was drying out, the kids were drying out. when hockey's New York Islanders polished off their thinJ crown. Just Clarence. I too Remember Pittsburgh's Stealers. the greatest football team of Maybe just stayed long. all team? They won four Super Bowls in six years in the 1970s, but Terry Bradshaw never got sized for a ring three years straight. June 30 was Gaines' last day on the job. North Car¬ "I guess ! just didn't really think that there d be a Vince Lombardi's powerhouse Green Bay Packers couldn't win olina state law requires that professors . and Gaines is a time when you couldn't get he said. three Bowls in a row. players," Super . down at 70 or an The New York Yankees, perhaps sports' greatest dynasty, phys-ed professor step age request won three World Series titles back to back on two occasions, exemption of the rule. Gaines turned 70 on May 21. And But for Gaines, that time canlc, and the same people beginning in 1936 and 1949. They didn't have color TV then. he was forced to retire by the university after it twice who'd supported him throughout the years began to turn But in basketball, yes, the Celtics won t:tles in a row eight denied his on him. he in the school's alumni associa¬ and the Lakers won three straight. These runs came, though, when exemption request. Some, says, the seasons weren't as long and the teams were good. There were tion, began to whisper in the ears of Winston -Salem no back-to-back nights against David Robinson and Shaquille But the Gaines we found on his last day on the job State Chancellor Cleon Thompson. O'Neal, heck, they just didn't come as big as the Shaq back then. wasn't bitter about his announced for But the question remains: are the Bulls one of the best teams having resignation * - . ever? On television recently. Magic Johnson said not really. He him at a news conference in February. He had been "I can understand the pressure he was under," said his Lakers championship squads probably were and that they called into a meeting and just sat there while someone Gaines said. "The alumni association in had too for too to beat Da Bulls. saying, "Why many guns Chicago, many ways else did what the man should've had the the hell are that old around? Maybe that's true. But the NBA's talent level is today higher proud probably you keeping guy He only . to than it ever was, even than in a opportunity do himself: to tell the basketball world won six last A higher Magic's heyday certainly ' games year." considerable amount higher than in Chamberlain's or Russell's . that this was il and the Bulls are this era's most dominant team. Gaines at this. He with what he was Based on that, you must consider the Bulls one of the best laughs says ever, and since they won three titles in a row against what is the No, Gaines wasn't bitter. He instead chose to recall given to work with, he couldn't have turned things league's besT^STSuent pool, what does that make them? all of the good moments of his career . his having seen around. * * Thirty-second best? at its worst and his seen it, for the , Maybe without Michael Jordan. segregation having most^art, come to a close. He talked about how it was "Jesus Christ couldn't have," he said. By LANGSTON WERTZ JR. kind of odd, really, that segregation was good for his Gaines laughs again. people but bad for his basketball. The "Bighousc" on the final day is the same "Big- Before then, Gaines" basketball team had reeled house" been: full full of Black Sports Review a published by Black Sports Inc §17 N. Liberty St.. there's always of stones, jokes, College will Winston-Salem. NC. 27101 UnsoHciled manuecnpts and photographs not be black basketball with an iron fist. Gaines . returned. Inquiries should be addressed to Ernest H Pttt. Publisher. Black College college full of memories. Sports Review, P.O. Box 1636. Winston-Salem. N C 27102 called "Bighouse" because he's as big as one . intimi¬ "Why shouldn't I be happy,: he said. "For every bad PHOTO CREDITg Cover storv photo by Qreg Jenson StaH photography for the Clari dated officials with his she^r stature and in size, reputation, thing that's happened to me, I've got 10 good memories," on Ledger Jackson. Mmsissvpi and like Earl "the Pearl" Monroe didn't BCSR is e supplement to these newspapers: Artery Vok». TTm^ButoHn, OmtHmon having players Atro-Armrican. Bttoo Roust Cotnmunfy Leader, Birmingham Tinw, Csfotnt P\eece- hurt either. ffMMT) C/ripfWW?n t/HfOnO®, c/8nWWT, WW09H vOimMr things Please see page 6 r I "wCWvnlii f OOUrlOTt rPwenmni ""v" * *.- « rnBDUryn But after slowed and the white wTwncin Jino rrw|A fTfwon-oiWm wmrtMwt^^ segregation bigger.